Telephone toll signal and collector.



No. 686,074. Patented N0!! 5 I90].

. A. HDLZMANN. TELEPHONE TOLL SIGNAL AND G OLLEGTOB.

abion filed Apr. 8, 1901.1

(Applic (No Model.)

2 SheetsSh eet l.

THE News PI-FEES 00.. Puumuruov. WASH Patented Nov. 5, I90l. A.HOLZMANN. TELEPHONE TO LL SIGNAL AND EOLLECTOR.

(Application filed Apr. 8, 1901.1

2 Shanks-Sheet 2.

(No Model.

S L r @U O Q fim\ W\ \N@ N Wm av ////w/// 3g Z W AN w 3 m WN. WW WI. QMN mm m a. Z. N .w we xw 5 5 m Q mm a h. E a an r. WM an a mm 1 3 v w onoh. 2 ow Q: o M fit w ww Mn HQ 3 a. aw 5w v w l n 3 fin M8 8 Q ms m rkUNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ANDREW HOLZMANN, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y.

TELEPHONE TOLL SIGNAL AND COLLECTOR.

SPEGIFIQATION forming part of-Le-tters Patent N 0. 686,074, datedNovember 5, 1901. Application filed April 8. 1901. Serial No. 5 4,883.(No model.)

To all, whom it nttty concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW HoLZMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Toll Signalsand Collectors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to telephone toll signals and collectors, moreparticularly to that class of devices constructed to receive coin inprepayment for the use of telephonic apparatus and to announce thedeposit of the toll both to the person desiring to use the instrumentand to the attendant at the central or switching station.

The object of my invention is to produce a toll receiver and annunciatorof the nature stated comprising improved mechanical parts having specialform and arrangement and adapted to signal the deposit of the coin andthe denomination of the same to the central-ofiice operator and also tonotify the payer that the money has passed through the collectingmachinery in the proper way, and, further, to call attention of a thirdparty, separated from the others, that the instrument is being used.

Each constituent element of my invention is described in detail and itsindividual office, together with the mode of operation of the whole,fully explained hereinafter.

Of the accompanying drawings, throughout which like numerals areintroduced to designate like parts, Figure 1 is a side view of myinvention, showing the arrangement of the parts when but a single slotis provided in the top of the receiving box or chamber and but a singlecoin-chute leads downwardly therefrom. Fig. 2 represents, 011 a reducedscale, a side view similar to the first, showing the construction andarrangement of the parts when three coin-receiving slots and chutes areprovided. In Fig. 2 the electrical signal devices, omitted in Fig. 1,are shown.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the spring-catch. Fig. 4 is a section of wheel4 on line as a: of Fig 2, showing one method of constructing andsecuring the adjustable balance-Weights. Fig. 5 represents a plan andend View of the throwouts.

Considering Fig. 1, numeral 1 marks the box or covering, of any materialor form, which incloses the apparatus. The slot or mouth of thecoin-chute is designated by nu meral 2 and the chute itself by 3. Thechute may be supported from the mouth, as shown, or upheld in any otherconvenient way. It is directed toward a wheel 4, which is revoluble upona center screw 5 and possesses a hub or cylindrical extension 6, thatwill be again referred to. In addition to the attachments mentionedwheel 4 has two pins 7 and 8, one near its periphery and one farthertoward its center. These pins, it will be observed, are placed at such adistance apart as to allow both the five-cent piece and dime to passfreely; but the distance is less than the diameter of atwenty-five-cen't piece, which upon leaving the chute would be retainedon the wheel. As any coin leaves the chute it strikes the barrier 9,borne by wheel 4, and in the cases of the nickel and dime it rollsdownwardly against the guide 10, also borne by wheel 4,

and between it and the throw-out guide 11,

secured to the box, toward the next wheel, to be referred to below.Centerscrew 5, upon which wheel 4 revolves, is supported by thebracket-arm 12, suitably secured to the box. At its outer end arm 12 isfurnished with a proper attachment for holding a gong 13 in a convenientposition, and a hammer-head 14 rests against the gong. The wire or rod15, to which the head 14 is secured, extends to and is fixed in or uponthe hub extension 6 of wheel 4. Toward the right hand the lower part ofwheel 4 is radially slotted, and a weight 16 is adjustable toward orfrom the center along the slot 16 by means of a small bolt 17, the headof which is against the surface of the weight, and a nut 18 on'the bolt,which clamps the weight in its adjusted position. (See Fig. 4.) I do notconfine myself to the particular form of the weigh t or to the means ofattaching itdescribed, as these elements are common in other mechanismsand have varied shapes. It will now be understoodthat the weight willhold the unweighted part of wheel 4 uppermost and bring the hammer-head14 against the gong. Let it be assumed here that a twenty-five-centsilver piece is deposited in the slot and passing through the chutecomes to rest upon the pins 7 and 8 as drawn and that the weight of thecoin overbalances the gravity of weight 16. lVheel 4 will turn on itscenter until a point is reached by the coin at which it can no longer beretained by and between the pins. The mechanism is arranged in suchmanner that as the coin falls it is' caught in the bottom of the box. Sosoon as the wheel 4 is freed from the control of the coin the weight 16returns it to its original position; but in doing so the hammer-head isbrought sharply against the gong, which sounds accordingly. In order toavoid vibratory swings of the wheel as it returns to its normal attitudeand to insure the presentation of the pins 7 and 8 always in exactly thesame way to an entering coin, I provide the periphery with a notch 19,which engages a spring-catch 20, having its outer extremity pivoted tothe box as drawn. The precise forms of the notch and catch may bemodified. Usually the catch-arm (marked 20) is curved. 20 marks thespring element, bent by contact with the fixed pin 20. The pivotal screwfor arm 20 is referred to by 20. In Fig. 1 will be noted the bentportions 20 and 20 at the end of arm 20, and in Fig. 3 it is shown thatportion 20 is wider than the arm and that terminal portion 20 does notdirectly continue the arm, but is offset as drawn. It will now beunderstood that the twenty-five-cent piece on leaving chute 3 rolls overportion 20 (see Fig. 1) and, striking barrier 9, is returned and fallsupon pins 7 and 8, at the same time meeting portion 20 as above stated,forcing it outwardly and freeing the portion 20 which is the actualcatch, from notch 19. On its return movement after dropping the coin thewheel is halted and held by reengagement of notch and catch.

On the bracket-arm 12 is fixed a block of insulating material 21, and tothe block a conducting-spring 22 is secured. At its free end the springpossesses an angular bend 23 or equivalent termination, and this bend ofspring 22 enters a recess 24 cut in the periphcry of the hub 6 of wheel4. It will be noted that in the usual or receiving positions of theparts delineated the bend 23 while extending into the recess 24 does nottouch its sides. A second recess in the hub is marked 25. Hub 6 andbracket-arm 12 being of metal may form parts of an electric circuit.

Ordinarily I employ three wheels, one for the twenty-five-cent piece,another for the nickel, and a third for the dime. A fourth wheel couldbe introduced for the fifty-cent piece, but it is not needed. Thestructural peculiarities of all the wheels are the same that is to say,the description of wheel4 and its operation and special construction isequally applicable to either of the other wheels.

As a coin leaves guide 10 of wheel 4 it is directed toward the secondwheel, (marked 26.) This is the five-cent wheel, and a coin of thatvalue only is retained. The radial slot in wheel 26 is marked 27, thebalance-weight 28, and its bolt 29. On reaching the wheel a five centpiece strikes against barrier 30, formed by bending the upper portion ofthe guide 31 toward the vertical, as shown. Guide 31 and, in fact, allthe guides mentioned are angular pieces of metal of greater or lesslength, the bend extending midway longitudinally, and they are screwedupon the wheels, as indicated. The five-cent piece, however, does notreach the guiding-portion of guide 31, but is caught and held by andbetween the projecting pins 32 and 33, located less than its diameterapart.

Number 34 refers to the second throw-out, which is secured upon wheel 4near the outermost pin 33 of wheel 26. v

The hub of wheel 26 is designated by number 35, its pi vot-serew by 36,and its recesses by 37 and 38. The conducting-spring is marked 39, itsfree end bend 40, the insulating-block to which the spring isfixed isdesignated 41,

- and the bracket-arm supporting the whole is 42. The number 43 refersto the hammerrod; 44, the hammer-head; 45, the soundingbody, in thisinstance asleigh-bell. Ido not always provide a peripheral notch in theedge of each coin-wheel and a spring-catch, as in the case of wheel 4,although each wheel could be obviously so equipped. Ordinarily it issufficient to introduce a projecting pin 46 on the edge of the wheel 26,arranged to contact with a pin 47, projecting from the wall of the box.These pins arrest the return of the wheel and insure its proper receiving position.

Let it be assumed that a dime is deposited in the mouth 2. It passesthrough the chute, strikes barrier 9, rolls between pins 7 and 8,

ICC

along guide 10, between pins 32 and 33, along guides 31 and 48, comingto rest finally upon the pins 49 and 50 of the dime-wheel 51. The radialslot of this wheel is numbered 52, the balancing-weight 53, and the boltsecuring it 54. The hub of the wheel 51 is marked 55, the pivot-screw56, the supporting bracketarm 57, the insulating-block 58, theconducting-spring 59, its free end bend 60, and the recess in the hub 55is designated 61. It is customary to provide but a single recess in thislowest hub; but there is no reason other than economy of constructionfor forming it differently from hubs 6 and 35. It is not absolutelyessential that either of the hubs should possess more than a singlerecess, excepting that the contacts of hubs and conducting-springsinvolve some frictional retardation, and by limiting the contacts to asmall surface this elfect is minimized. Number 62 is the hammer-rod,extending from hub 55,

number 63 the hammer-head, and 64 the sounding-body peculiar to thiswheel, in this instance a coil. The edge pin 65 and its neighbor 66limit the return of wheel 51, as usuaL Each of the three coin-receivingwheels has its individual sounding device in addition to the commonelectrical signal hereinafter mentioned, one being a gong, the other acoil, and the third a sleigh-bell. When a coin has been dropped into themechanism, the instrument is is condition to be spoken through, and theattendant at the central station hears the sound made and by its qualitylearns thedenomination of the coin deposited. The payer also hears thesignal, and thus knows that his money has been properly received. Theorder of arrangement given the sounding devices in Fig. 1 has no specialsignificance. The coil may be sounded by the five-cent Wheel and thesleiglrbell by the dime-wheel, as shown in Fig. 2. Some settled rule onthis point would be adopted.

It will be noted in Fig. 1 that the pins 32 and 33 have an ellipticalplate 67 fixed to their outer ends in such manner as to leave aninterval between the plate and the surface of the wheel something morein width than the thickness of a coin. Plate 67 is a coinguard, and itsoffice is to prevent the coin from toppling forward out of its seat uponthe pins. Coin-guards, either elliptical or circular, are provided foreach pair of coincatching pins. The dime-wheel coin-guard is numbered68.

Thetrough 69, (shown in Fig. 1,) with its externally-situated end pocket69, will be again referred to in this description.

Fig. 2 shows a modified arrangement of the wheels 4, 26, and 51, thefirst being located upon the right. In this figure the electric bellappears. marked 70, the five-cent mouth 71, and that for the dime 72.The respective chutes are numbered 73, 74:, and 75. Instead of thecatch-arm 20, as in the first figure, the Wheel 4 is now provided withthe edge pin 76 and adjacent box-pin 77 for the same purpose as alreadyexplained. An electrically-operated signal, which may be a bell 78, anda battery 79 are shown in Fig. 2, and local wires 80 and 81, leading tobracket-arm 57 and conducting-spring 59 of the dime-wheel, and the localwires 82 and S3 for the five-cent wheel, and local wires 8t and 85forthe twenty-fivecent wheel, each pair of wires suitably connected withthe main battery-wires 86 and 87, bring each Wheel in circuit with thebell as drawn. If either wheel is turned, the bell 78 sounds, and it maybe placed at a point remote from the telephone instrument or centraloffice when a third person is to be notified.

It will be readily understood by inspection that no change in theoperation occurs in Fig. 2 so far as the rotations and returns of thewheels are concerned, and merely the paths of the coin are changed, eachchute being The twenty-five-cent mouth isstraight and of such size as totransmit only the coin for which it is adapted.

In-Fig. 1 will be noted the two throw out guides, that marked 11 beingattached to the box and held free from contact with but very near wheels4 and 26. The office of the throw outs is to reject two-cent pieces orpennies placed in slot 2. Assume that a coin smaller than a quarter yetlarger than the nickel be inserted. It would pass between pins 7 and 8and on toward wheel 26; but its top edge meeting the throw-out would beturned aside by its inclines (see Fig. 5) and directed as indicated bythe broken lines. Finally such improper coin would topple over outsideof coin-guard 67 and fall into trough 69, by which it would be directedinto exterior pocket 69, where the depositor could recover it. Throwout3%, which represents the form commonly given these pieces, expelspennies on their way to the dime-wheel. This throw-out is secured towheel'a in the place shown. Coins of appropriate sizes and properlyreceived between the pins and beneath the coin-guards are discharged bythe turning wheels behind trough 69 into the bot tom of the box 1, fromwhich they are removed by an authorized collect-or.

I am aware that toll signals and collectors have been constructed andthat in one or more coin controlled apparatus a weighted wheel receives,rotates, and dumps the coin, and I do not claim that feature solely orbroadly.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. In a telephone toll signal and collector, a coin-receiving wheelhaving projecting pins arranged near its periphery adapted to catch acoin, the said wheel being provided with balance-weight, substantiallyas described.

2.In a telephone toll signal and collector, the combination of acoin-receiving wheel having projecting pins arranged near itsperiphery-adapted to catch a coin, and a coin-guard secured to the outerends of the pins, the said wheel being provided with an adjustablebalance-weight, substantially as described.

3. In a telephone toll signal and collector, the combination ofcoin-receiving wheels provided with coin-catching devices andbalanceweights, means forsupporting the said wheels rotatively, bodiesemitting sounds of differing quality when struck, and hammer heads androds attached to the said wheels and moving therewith and arranged tostrike the sounding-bodies when the said wheels return under theinfluence of the balance-weights, substantially as described.

4. In a telephone toll signal and collector, the combination ofcoin-receiving wheels provided with coin-catching devices and adjustable balance-weights, means for supporting the said wheelsrotatively, sounding-bodies suitably supported, hammer heads and rodsattached to the said wheels and moving therewith and arranged to strikethe soundingbodies when the wheels return under the influence of thebalance-weights, an electrically-operated signal and a normally opencircuit, and devices whereby the said circuit is temporarily closedduring the movement of either Wheel, substantially as described.

5. In a telephone toll signal and collector, the combination of an upperrevoluble coinreceiving wheel having a coin-catching device adapted toretain a larger coin and to permit the passage of smaller coin, acoinchute directed to the coin-catching device of said wheel, a secondrevoluble coin-receiving wheel placed lower than the first wheel andhaving a coin-catching device adapted to retain a larger coin and topermit the passage of smaller coin, the said upper wheel being providedwith guides arranged to direct a coin to the coin-catching device of thesecond wheel,arevoluble coin-receiving wheel placed lower than theothers and having a coin-catching device, the said second wheel beingprovided with guides arranged to direct a coin to the coin -catchingdevice of said lower wheel, each of said wheels being provided with abalance-weight and means for limiting rotation, and signal devicesactuated by the movement of the said wheels, substantially as described.V

6. In a telephone toll signal and collector, the combination of an upperrevoluble coinreceiving wheelhaving a coin-catching device adapted toretain a larger coin and to permit the passage of a smaller coin, acoin-chute directed to the coin-catching device of said wheel,a secondrevoluble coin-receiving wheel placed lower than the first wheel andhaving a coin-catching device adapted to retain a larger coin and topermit the passage of smaller coin, the said upper Wheel being providedwith guides arranged to direct a coin to the coin-catching device of thesecond wheel,a revoluble coin-receivin g Wheel placed lower than theothers and having a coin-catching device, the said second wheel beingprovided with guides arranged to direct a coin to the coin-catchingdevice of said lower wheel, each of said wheels being provided with abalance-weight and means for limiting rotation, and sounding deviceseach emitting a diflerent sound and actuated by the movements of thesaid wheel, substantially as described.

7. In a telephone toll signal and collector, the combination of a seriesof revoluble coinreceiving wheels having coin-catching de-- vices, meansfor directing coin to the said catching devices, each of the said wheelshaving balance-weights, throw-out devices constructed and arranged tooverturn coin of certain diameters, and a trough 69 having a pocket 69,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ANDREYV I'IOLZMANN.

Witnesses:

RAYMOND DUGEL, OTTO LOENICKER.

